1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to joining wire-like members, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for joining wires by explosively forming metallurgical bonds between the end portions thereof and a ferrule.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The physical and electrical integrity of conductor joints or splices is a matter of widespread concern in the electrical industry. In a cable manufacturing facility, for example, conductor wires are sometimes spliced by a high-temperature joining process such as brazing. The wires adjacent the joint are weakened due to annealing, however, and brazing has the disadvantage of being time consuming and requiring skilled operators.
It has long been known to employ explosive techniques for joining metal parts. Thus, explosives have been used to accelerate one workpiece against another to form composite structures such as bi-metallic or clad stock; see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,848. In such applications, relatively large quantities of a secondary explosive, shock detonated by a more sensitive primary explosive, are employed to violently deflect the large masses involved.
It was discovered more recently, as revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,296, that the more readily detonatable primary explosives could be employed directly in bonding miniature planar members, such as the metallic leads extending from an integrated circuit chip, to an opposed, flat surface.
Finally, crimping arrangements such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,276 are known, in which an explosive is used to create a mechanical union between two overlapped conductor wires and a third, sleeve member.
The exemplified prior art fails to disclose a method and apparatus which will provide reliably strong and electrically integral metallurgical joints suitable for the geometries and working conditions encountered in the wirejoining art.